My 13-Year Odyssey Through the Ethiopian Tech Industry

After having worked at Addis Ababa University — as a fresh graduate of Computer Science — for only two years, I decided to strike out on my own into the fledgling IT private sector. In 2005, along with my friend and co-founder, we set up a Private Limited Company (PLC) that was to provide a range of IT services.

Alas, 13 years later, and after having gone through a maddening six months of bureaucratic hell, I am about to conclude the liquidation of my company.

My main aim in writing this article (a postmortem really) is to give an insider’s view of the Ethiopian tech sector or the Ethiopian private sector in general. I will try to support my claims and pronouncements with financial statements but please bear in mind that these are my own subjective opinions and should be taken with a grain (or a kilo) of salt. Continue reading…